Eden

Eden's population grew between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in average age, work life and health.

The population passed 50,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Eden increased by 5.6%, from almost 49,800 to 52,600.

The addition of almost 2,800 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Eden was home to, on average, 0.18 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it England's least densely-populated district.

Population density was lower than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Eden

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Eden increased by four years, from 42 to 46 years.

This agricultural area had a higher average age than the North West and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 2,100 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 2,000.

About 15% of people in Eden are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Eden by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Eden

Eden saw England's second-largest fall in the proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just under 9 in 10 (89%) in Eden reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities, compared with 90% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.6% to 3.3%.

England's largest decrease in the proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability occurred in Isles of Scilly (from 92% to 90%).

Because of its small size, comparisons to Isles of Scilly should be made with caution.

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents that reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Eden working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 21% to 16% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (2.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across the North West. As a result, this area had the region’s highest proportion of people working long hours.

Ribble Valley had the North West's second highest proportion of people working long hours (13%), while South Lakeland had the region's third highest proportion (11%).

Long hour working in Eden decreased by 5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Eden, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

Eden saw the North West's largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over 1 in 11 (9.3%) households in Eden had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 10% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 27% to 24%.

Across the region, Salford saw the next largest decrease in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 10% in 2001 to 9.2% in 2011).

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across the North West

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of Eden residents that were self-employed remained close to 17% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in two (51%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 49% in 2001. The percentage of Eden residents that were unemployed increased from 2.0% to 2.1%.

The proportion of self-employed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 7.1% in 2001 to 8.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.2% to 9.7%.

The rate of self-employment was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

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